lemon law

[Jim Rice]

has anyone ever had to use the lemon law for a bass boat? My new 2005 911 has been in the dealership since June 15th 2005. The new Mercury Verado motor will start then shut down, and they do not know why it's doing it. They have tried severeal different thing and have been taking with the Merc tech and they are confused. Fustrated with making payments and being able to use the boat. Any help please



Thanks:angry:

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Doesn't apply to boats. Give them a chance and work with them. You'll get a lot further with sugar than with vinegar. Be firm but fair. They will get it figured out. This is a Merc/Dealer problem.



TOXIC

 

[davetnitro]

interesting info, i have a similar yet perhaps more depressing story. i ordered a 911 on may 3 of this year. after being patient for a pretty long time (5 weeks) i called the dealer. it took him a couple of days to return my call, and he informed me that they had stopped making '05s and that i would get an '06 model at the same price. the dealer gave me a final assembly date of july 15. on July

22, i called and asked what was up, was told boat is on a truck. nice! called on july 29 and asked

what was up. dealer says 'problem in the factory, boat cable harness does not match the new verado', he continues 'they are getting it fixed, should be on a truck soon' (deja vous). i call on

8/5, ask what's up, they say 'boat is in the mail' , i call on 8/12, ask what's up, they say the boat

is coming off the trailer, and everyone thinks it looks great, they will put on the fish finder, and i should come and get it. i arrive at the dealer @9 am sharp (2 hour drive) ($50 in gas). the first thing that the sales guy says is 'didn't you get my message' seems that the boat will not start, and that the dealer would have to get the merc specialists involved. called yesterday, asked what's up,

they said that there is a problem with the wiring harness, that the boat harness does not match the verado connector! am i going insane or what, how many times does this boat have to be

wrenched on, before i get it. if this were your car, brand new, and the dealer could not make it

run, you would probably run away, and buy a different car!



sorry about the ramble/rant

 

[Michael Snow]

Dear DaveT, PLEASE, please, please take it for a test drive before purchasing. I haven't even seen a running Verado, much less ridden in front of one. However, if the boys over on BFHP are right, they say it's not a good performer on a bass boat hull. The 911 is a wide, heavy boat to begin with and I can't imagine a motor with (what is said to be) a horrible hole shot being put on the back and having any reasonable performance. I could be DEAD wrong, and if so, please tell me so I can put that in my little databank (brain). My fear is that the performance will be mind-boggling bad. Again, it's just a fear, not substantiated in any way.



The 911 is a hull that people either love or hate. It's obvious that you love it (hence your desire to purchase one). It's the motor choice that concerns me. In any case, don't expect 70mph without 250 hp on the back -- if you're a speed freak, the 911 ain't your boat anyway.

 

[Bill McElroy]

I have a buddy who has a new Verado.....His wouldn't stay running either,..they had to reprogram the ECM,..once they did that,...it's been running fine. Suggest that to the dealer.

 

[Brian Bell2]

Do not think there is a lemon law for boats... which realy sucks, that may force dealers to be more receptive to customer issues and faster resolutions, if they knew after 3 attempts they were gonna be getting the boat back.

 

[Jody Woodruff]

Have you tried calling Mercury and telling them your experience? It may be worth a try.

 

[davetnitro]

Hi MikeSnow... the dealer talked me out of the 225 verado, into the 250 for the reasons you

mentioned, that with the 225, he had to put on a $1200 prop to get it running ok. i am not

that concerned with top-end or hole shot. my intenetion for use of the boat is mainly pleasure, i may fish a few local tournaments, but i got the boat to be able to fish with friends, and have lots of room.



so far the dealer contends that there is a 6 pin vs. 5 pin connector incompatibility, i will be making

my quasi-daily phone call to him soon 9am west coast time. another chance at happiness/disappointment!

 

[George Bryant]

Net Man,



Have you asked the Dealer or Merc to just replace the motor? Two months is a very long time to fix something, IMO. If they cannot figure out what is wrong with the motor, especially after having it for two months, they should switch it out.



These boats cost as much as or more than a new car! Nobody here would let a Ford Dealership keep their NEW truck for two months trying to figure out why it will not run! We would demand a new truck or expect them to replace the engine.



Just my .02 worth.



GMB

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Here we go again....WTF is wrong with dealerships?

That kinda' money in a rig and ain't been able to use it since June? Geez...wonder why they get a bad rap?:angry:

 

[stan martin]

First, I would not rule out a lemon law claim. Although lemon laws generally apply only to motor vehicles, they [the laws] are state specific. It would depend on whether your state has a lemon law and, if so, whether it applies to boats. Probably not (applies to boats) but why not check it out. Look online for your state's consumer protection department.



Second, and even if the lemon law does not apply, your state's Uniform Commerical Code or "UCC" (the statutes regulating the sale and purchase of "goods") may provide relief. Revocation of acceptance for latent/hidden defects is one remedy. While the boat's warranty is usually the remedy for a defective product, the UCC in your state may have a provision allowing you to go outside the warranty if that warranty is essentially ineffective (i.e., it does not fix the problem).



Understanding that these concepts are difficult, even for an attorney, I would recommend creating a paper trial with the dealer and the manufactuer as well as a log detailing the number of days the boat has been in the shop, everything the dealer/manufacturer provides you and all telephone conversations that you have with the dealer and/or manufacturer. As a last resort, have an attorney write a demand letter. That will usually invite action where nothing else has (I know because I am an attorney!!).



Good luck.

 

[davetnitro]

Netman, i saw your boat at the dealer yesterday. they said that you would be picking it up later in

the day. did you get it? i was told that they had to reprogram the ecm on your boat and mine as

well. i did pick mine up, had it in the water in about 3 hours, caught a couple of fish...



i put a pic of it in my folder



it really runs great.